Broken Brotherhood
by Apartion
Summary: Why did Xehanort originally leave the Land of Departure? What left things between him and Eraqus broken and unresolved? My take on Master Xehanort's last days in the Land of Departure. Completed as of 7/5/12.
1. Day 1

Always was curious about what exactly made Xehanort leave the Land of Departure, and what happened that left things between him and Eraqus unresolved. This is what my imagination's pumped out!

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><p><strong>DAY 1<strong>  
>Xehanort wasn't able to sleep in that day, like he had wanted to. Eraqus came running into his room, slamming the door shut. Not leaving him to sleep for a few extra hours, like Xehanort told him to. He sat up slowly, yawning slightly and opened his eyes.<p>

"You had better have a good reason for waking me up, Eraqus..." He said, looking over to him.

"I do, Xehanort! Our Master has chosen when we will take the Mark of Mastery exam!" Eraqus yelled, cheerfully. This piqued Xehanort's curiosity.

"Don't just yell that in my ear, Eraqus! Tell me more." Opening his eyes fully didn't seem like such a chore, now. He waited for Eraqus to say something, but all he did was stutter. Finally, something that resembled an actual sentence stumbled out of Eraqus.

"Let's just have you find out from him!" Eraqus then grabbed Xehanort by the arm and attempted to drag him out of bed.

"Let go of me!" Xehanort said, pushing Eraqus away. "I'm not going outside in my sleep-wear. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Fine, fine. I'm coming back in ten minutes if you aren't outside!" And with that, Eraqus rushed out of the room, slamming the door shut. Xehanort didn't take much time at all getting dressed. He might have acted calm in front of Eraqus, but the reality was that he had been waiting for so long to hear _some _talk of the mark of mastery exam for himself and his brother, and here was not just that, but a day chosen already as well? He was excited, and left his room quickly. He stepped out of the castle door and descended the steps to the platform, where his Master and Eraqus were, standing at the edge of the ground. Eraqus turned to look at Xehanort.

"Master, Xehanort's arrived." He told him, tapping him lightly on the shoulder.

"I know, Eraqus. Xehanort," he said, turning to greet him, "I heard you had something you wished to speak to me about?"

"Yes, Master. Eraqus told me you have decided upon a day for our Mark of Mastery test?"

"Ah, yes. I have been watching you both grow from apprentices into true Keyblade Warriors. I decided it was time to see if you could surpass what barriers stand before you still as a Keyblade Wielder, by taking the Mark of Mastery. I have no doubt you will both succeed in doing so."

"I will do my best to please you, Master. When will we be tested?"

"Four days from now. I must prepare you both for the test." He said, turning back to the edge. Eraqus walked to the castle door, stopping and turning to yell to Xehanort.

"You coming, Xehanort?"

"Yes, Eraqus." He yelled back. He began to walk away as well, but was stopped when his Master called for him.

"Xehanort. Remain here with me for a short time. I must speak to you of something." Xehanort turned back to him as he heard this, and walked over. Eraqus went into the castle as Xehanort did so.

"Xehanort... You have grown much since I first took you as my apprentice. You and Eraqus have both made me very proud."

"Thank you, Master. I try my best."

"But... there is something that worries me about you."

"What might that be, Master?"

"I have not only heard, but seen your use of darkness." He turned to face Xehanort. "You must remember, darkness is not simply a forbidden power... but it is a parasite, as well. Continuous use of darkness can corrupt you. You have come so far... I do not wish to see you lose yourself to the darkness."

"But, Master-"

"No, Xehanort. I do not wish to be harsh on you, or strict, but I do not want to see or hear of you wielding darkness any longer. I am only trying to protect you."

"...Yes, Master. I apologize." He hung his head down, looking to his right a bit.

"It is alright, Xehanort. Now, go. Eraqus is most likely waiting for you."

"Indeed. Goodbye for now, Master." He said as he started walking away. He turned his head back to see his teacher staring up at the sky, still standing on the edge.

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><p>Day 1 done! Expect to see Day 2 up soon. Constructive criticism is welcomed!<p> 


	2. Day 2

**DAY 2**

Xehanort was able to sleep in late that day, even though he had been up all night and early morning. He couldn't seem to force himself to go to sleep, no matter how much he tossed and turned. All he could do was think about what his Master had told him the previous day.

"I don't understand," He kept thinking to himself, "why darkness is so condemned and forbidden?" And he truly didn't. In Xehanort's mind, he believed that the world was a balance of things. Darkness cannot exist without Light, and Light without Dark.

"Surely he realizes? He _is _a Keyblade Master..." But he couldn't explain or understand why his use, and other uses of darkness, were forbidden. In the end, he only succeeded in thinking himself to sleep. He woke up later, on his own, and stepped out of bed. He looked outside, expecting to see Eraqus or his Master walking about, but nobody was there. He closed his curtains and changed, heading out of the door afterwards. As he walked through the halls, he couldn't help but wonder if there had been others like him. He knew, of course, there were uncountable masses of Keyblade Wielders who used darkness in the Keyblade War which he had heard the whispers and legends about, but that was centuries ago. He was wrapped up in wondering, rather, about the halls he called his home, now. Had there been others that wielded darkness in this castle? In this world, even? He would never know, but he rested his mind with realizing he could not have been the only one. He turned his head, however, at the sound of Eraqus calling for him from down the hall.

"Yes, Eraqus?" He replied back, his voice echoing throughout the room.

"Come outside. I'm bored." Eraqus yelled back. Xehanort sighed, and ran across the room to Eraqus. They started walking outside, together.

"So what did the Master want to talk to you about yesterday? I never asked, and you never told me."

"It was nothing."

"So you're trying to tell me he called you to him so he could have you stand there?" Eraqus laughed.

"Well, if you must know, he wanted to speak to me of my use of darkness." Xehanort replied. Eraqus stopped walking right there, Xehanort not noticing for a second. He stopped himself and turned to look at Eraqus.

"Darkness?" Eraqus said, seeming a little confused.

"Yes, darkness. Haven't I ever told you about my use?"

"No, not ever. Xehanort... You shouldn't be using darkness. Ever. It can-"

"Corrupt me and such. I know, I heard the same from the Master." He said, cutting off Eraqus.

"I don't understand why you'd want to use the darkness, anyways." Eraqus said, as he continued walking. Xehanort continued with him. "Light is better. We live in the realm of light, too. So leave the darkness to it's own realm!" He continued.

"You obviously don't understand the way the world works, Eraqus. You can't have light without darkness. There would be no realm of light if there was no realm of darkness." Xehanort explained.

"Maybe you're right. But that's the entire reason that they're seperate, right? If one got into the other, things wouldn't be good. We've heard about it and seen it before. Darkness is always slipping into the realm of light."

"Yes, but if you haven't noticed, the realm of light is much more expansive than the realm of darkness is, most likely. We never hear about worlds in the realm of darkness, but the realm of light has countless ones. We've most likely cut away most of the darkness."

"Ah, whatever. This is getting boring, just talking." Eraqus said as he stopped in the field.

"And what would you suggest we do to prevent boredom?" Xehanort asked. Eraqus said nothing, but summoned his keyblade. Xehanort grinned. "You may not know as much as I do, but you certainly know how to have a good time, Eraqus."

"You tend to pick up how to have fun when you're living in the Land of Departure." Eraqus said as he began rushing at Xehanort. He jumped and swung his Keyblade down at him, but was blocked immediately by Xehanort's own keyblade, which effectively sent Eraqus flying back. Eraqus landed on his feet, and readied himself. Xehanort ran at Eraqus, keyblade lightly slicing the ground as he ran. Eraqus slashed at Xehanort, only to hit nothing but air. Xehanort had teleported behind him, and kicked him in the rear, knocking Eraqus over.

"Getting kicked from behind like a fool. Then again, you are the king of fools, yes?" Xehanort chuckled. Eraqus grinned and laughed along with him. Their play-fight would last for a bit longer, until they called it a draw and went inside for lunch. The rest of the day consisted of playing dice games, and racing around on their keyblade gliders. At the end of the day, they finished their races.

"It's getting late, and I'm getting tired, Xehanort. I'm going to bed." Eraqus said, patting Xehanort on the back.

"I'll be staying out here for a little while. The stars seem brighter than I've ever seen them, tonight."

"Okay. Good night, Xehanort."

"Good night, Eraqus." Xehanort said, smiling at Eraqus. He turned his head up to the night sky as he heard the sound of the castle door shutting. As he gazed at the darkened sky, his thoughts went back to the debate him and Eraqus had earlier. He seemed to realize, in his own mind, that he was right. "There's a reason, I suppose," He thought, "why the night seems to be shorter than the day. It's because it is."

He stared at the sky for a few more minutes before heading to bed. He would be able to sleep soundly that night.

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><p>Day 2 is done! Xehanort's beginning to realize his later views in Birth By Sleep, but not entirely, yet. Watch for Day 3 coming up soon!<p> 


	3. Day 3

**Day 3**  
>Xehanort had to wake up bright and early that day. Their Master had told them the day before, during dinner, that today they would be preparing for the Mark of Mastery exam. He took no time in changing and heading into the room he was told to go to when he woke up. Eraqus was already inside the room, talking with their Master. They turned to look to Xehanort as he entered.<p>

"You've arrived, Xehanort. And just in time, too. We'll begin both yours and Eraqus' preperations today.

"Yes, Master. What will we be doing to prepare ourselves?" He asked, looking around the room. It was empty, it seemed. Not a single thing in there, save for the people standing in it.

"Today you will both be preparing yourselves mentally, and spiritually. There will be nothing standing in your way of completing this preperation except that which lies dormant in your own minds and hearts. You'll have to sit down, if you don't mind." He told them, motioning to the floor.

"Of course." Xehanort replied, sitting on the floor as his Master instructed. Eraqus did the same.

"Now, I will set you both in a state of trance. You will travel through your own mind and heart, and defeat your fears and worries. Do not worry, though. If you cannot do so, I will be able to sense your conflict. If things get out of hand, I will wake you up." He walked over to Eraqus first, as he was closer. He place his hands on Eraqus' head, and Eraqus' eyes closed. He released his hands, and walked over to Xehanort. The same was done. As Xehanort closed his eyes in the physical realm, he seemed to open eyes into his own spiritual realm of thought. He was clad in his keyblade armor, and his keyblade was already drawn. He looked around. He was seemingly in the Land of Departure Castle, in the main hall. He looked around. There were doors scattered around him, not attatched to walls, but simply connected to the ground. He decided to randomly choose a door. As he reached out and grabbed the handle, he could hear a mysterious voice speak to him, as he opened the door.

"What do you want for yourself?" He heard asked to him as he walked into the door. He looked around at the room he walked into. It was the throne room, which he had been in many times before. He was standing at the side of the room, and looked over at two youths play-fighting with their keyblades. One was a girl with brown hair, and light red clothing on. The other was a boy with black hair, wearing white and black clothing. He walked over to the thrones, where two figures were sitting on them. He realized nobody could see him. As he walked closer, he was able to see the two figures clearly. One of them was a man in white clothing, wearing parts of his keyblade armor under a white coat. He had black hair, which was tied behind his head. He looked over to the other figure, who was wearing armor on his feet, hands, and wrists, along with black, red, and white clothing. He had long, spiked white hair, and a white goatee. He realized that these people were himself and Eraqus, in the future. No, not the future. The future he had hoped would become a reality. They spoke to eachother.

"Your pupil is quite skilled, Eraqus." The older Xehanort said, looking over to his friend.

"As is yours, Xehanort. I didn't understand why at the time, but I know now why our Master chose you as his successor. I must say, though, I am honored to be allowed to still live here, even after all of the conflict I pushed upon you in our younger years."

"It matters not to me what happened in the past. Brothers will be brothers. Constantly arguing over petty differences. I could not shun my brother, and I could most definately not push him out of his home. You are always welcome here, Eraqus. As is your pupil, and any others you may receive." The older Xehanort said to Eraqus as he patted him on the back.

"You have my deepest gratitude, brother." Eraqus said. Xehanort saw the two friends fading. The room faded as well. He appeared back in the room from before, but the door he had entered first had disappeared. He reached for another door's handle, and opened it. As he did so, he heard the same voice.

"What's most important to you?" He would walk into a room that was pitch black. He could see nothing, not even the floor. The voice repeated itself: "What's most important to you?"

"What's most important..." He said out loud, "...my home." He said. As he spoke, the blackness would fade into the outside part of the Land of Departure.

"Is that all?"

"No... My friends." He said, as Eraqus and his Master appeared. "And... my power." At this, a Keyblade would appear, the top of the blade dug slightly into the ground. It was not his Keyblade, though, and it was only a silhouette. He faded from the room, and ended up in front of one last door. He opened it, and walked in.

"What are you most afraid of?" He heard as he walked forward. He looked down, and he seemed to be standing on a stained glass floor, spiraling around in a circle. On it, he was able to see himself sleeping, painted onto the glass. The Land of Departure was the background behind the painting of himself. He looked up, and saw a shadowy figure. Not unseeable, but darkened. He took a closer look, and realized it was himself. This figure's skin was dark tan, and his eyes were sickly bright yellow. The figure drew a keyblade; the same one from before. Only now, it wasn't just a silouhette. It was a dark grey and black keyblade, with horned face at the top of the hilt. The blade was comprised of two dark grey, black, and silver blades. They led up to connect with eachother at a blue eye-like orb in the top of the keyblade. Attatched as well to this orb was the axe-blade of the keyblade. He couldn't examine much longer, though, as the figure rushed at him. He drew his own keyblade, and blocked as the figure attacked. He pushed it back, and ran at it. He sliced upwards, missing however as the figure jumped back. It teleported behind him and attempted a suprise attack on Xehanort. However, with a single quick and precise slice from his keyblade, Xehanort successfully attacked the figure, which disappeared into the darkness around as the attack was finished. He faded yet again into the room from before, where a new door had appeared. He reached for the handle, and went in. He entered no room, but was surrounded by blinding light as he heard the voice speak to him one last time.

"You want to be successful and kind in the future. You hold your friends, your home, and your power close to you. You are afraid of..." Xehanort finished the voice's sentence.

"Myself."

He awoke from the trance to the room he had entered it in. He looked up at his Master and Eraqus. The rest of the day was theirs to spend however they wanted.

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><p>I couldn't resist it. Everyone else seems to have their own Station of Awakening. Why not Xehanort? Look for Day 4 either later today or early tomorrow!<p> 


	4. Day 4

**Day 4**  
>Another day of waking up early. Xehanort didn't mind, though. At least this time it was for a good reason. He had been up already for an hour or so, but it was still too early to go out into the castle. He looked outside to see if the sun was shining yet, and at the first glance of the sun's light, he left his room and walked through the castle to the room he was told to go to for today's preperations. As he entered, he saw only his Master in the room. He looked around, and this room seemed not much different from the one the previous day, save for two doors at the end of the room. He looked back over to see his Master looking at him.<p>

"I'm here, Master. Where is Eraqus?"

"He is probably still asleep, or coming now."

"I see. Master... I had a few questions for you, if you don't mind?" Xehanort asked, walking around the room while looking to him.

"Of course, Xehanort. What are your questions?"

"The darkness... I haven't been using it since you asked me to stop my usage of it here, but I can't help but wonder about it."

"Wondering about it too much can lead you to make impulsive decisions. But, I will not lecture you on that today. What have you been wondering about?"

"Isn't the world supposed to be a balance of things? Light and Darkness?" Xehanort asked, stopping.

"That is how it is meant to be, yes. A proper balance, made to keep the realms and worlds in check."

"A proper balance, though. Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps the balance has been upset?"

"The balance will always be upset."

"But you said it was a proper balance?"

"I did indeed." He said. Xehanort was very confused, now.

"But... Isn't a balance meant to equal out on both sides of something?"

"Indeed it is, Xehanort. But I did not say perfect balance. I only said proper. I know already what you are trying to hint at to me, and it's crossed my mind a good few times. But, there is no way to reset the balance. It would require a large number of keyblade wielders and denizens of the realm of light as well turning to darkness, and that would be almost impossible at this point. The only other option would be to initiate a mass genocide of inhabitants from the realm of light, and there is no way I would ever allow something like that to happen, much less take part in it or even initiate it. So, to answer your un-asked question... No. There is nothing we can do to reset the balance of light and darkness. The worlds are in a somewhat peaceful state, and I would see no reason to change anything." He concluded. Xehanort was about to state his objections to that kind of reasoning, but was interrupted by Eraqus coming into the room.

"I'm very sorry, Master! I slept too late." Eraqus said, obvious out of breath from running this whole time. Xehanort chuckled.

"That's what you get for staying up too late last night, racing around on your glider for hours." Xehanort said, patting Eraqus on the back.

"Don't give me that, Xehanort! You stayed up with me that whole time."

"This much is true. But we both know I don't need as much sleep as you, princess!" He laughed. Eraqus laughed along with him, and their Master even joined in. After the laughter ceased, though, they were spoken to.

"Now, today you will prepare yourself for the physical aspect of the Mark of Mastery. I will set you both in seperate enchanted rooms, where you will each fight mirrored images of yourself. If you are injured during the preperation, or cannot continue, I will know. Xehanort, take the door on the left. Eraqus, you to the right. Eraqus and Xehanort nodded, and headed to their assigned doors. Xehanort opened it, and walked in. The door magically shut behind him, and he glanced forward. Another empty room, save for a mirror at the other side. He walked into the middle, and looked over again to the mirror. It reflected his image, but only for a brief moment before the image began walking, on it's own, out of the mirror. It drew it's keyblade and jumped at Xehanort.

"Too easy." He proclaimed, teleporting behind the reflection and slicing it into a puff of smoke. He was kicked from behind as he landed, however. He realized the mirror had continued pushing out reflections of himself. He regained his stance and ran in, sliding under a swipe at his upper body while slicing at the legs of the reflection. It disappeared into smoke as Xehanort quickly blocked an attack from behind and pushed the new reflection back. He looked over to it, and saw as it split into two reflections. They both rushed at Xehanort from both sides, lunging forward. Xehanort jumped forward into the air, turning and throwing his keyblade at the two enemies. They puffed out as Xehanort's keyblade lodged itself in the ground. He summoned it to him as he made a slashing motion at another reflection. After a few more minutes of fighting, the reflections had grown massively in number. Xehanort was able to hold his own, though. Suddenly, however, the wall behind Xehanort faded away, and revealed another room. He looked over and saw Eraqus, and about a dozen reflections of his brother.

"Not too tough, right?" Eraqus asked him.

"I wouldn't even use that word for this." Xehanort grinned. They backed up against each other.

"We've been in this kind of situation before, haven't we?"

"Indeed we have, Eraqus. Shall we do what we always do?"

"You read my mind!" Eraqus exclaimed. Xehanort grinned, and slid under and past Eraqus, while Eraqus himself jumped forward. Xehanort began dodging the attacks of Eraqus' reflections, while Eraqus dealt with Xehanort's. The reflections kept pouring out faster and faster, until the room could not hold anymore. Xehanort and Eraqus seemed to be surrounded.

"It's a party, Xehanort," Eraqus chuckled, "the kind where we're the only ones that leave!"

"I couldn't put it any better than that." Xehanort replied, chuckling as well.

"Wasn't there something, a while back? Something we did in this kind of situation?" Eraqus said, grinning at Xehanort.

"Why, yes. There was. Remember?"

"Don't have to explain it to me again, when I already know!" He said. Xehanort threw his keyblade in a boomerang style at the reflections on his side, while Eraqus did the same on his. Both caught the other's keyblade in hand and swung downward at the ground with great force, sending two large shockwaves of energy across the room, effectively puffing out all of the reflections at once. The wall housing the two doors faded, and their master walked towards them.

"You both impress me with your skills, as always. It is always good to know how to fight by yourself and with those who might be in the same crisis, though I do not feel this needs explaining. You both did excellent, and I believe you are more than prepared for the Mark of Mastery tomorrow. You may go, and take the rest of the day off." He said, smiling at them.

Eraqus and Xehanort would walk out of the room, and proceed to do what they did every day together.

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><p>Mark of Mastery begins for Xehanort and Eraqus in the next chapter! Watch for Day 5 sometime today!<p> 


	5. Day 5

**Day 5**  
>Xehanort woke up extremely early, and he couldn't resist wandering the castle in the very early morning hours. Today was the day he would take the Mark of Mastery exam, and become a Keyblade Master. He had waited for this day for so long since first becoming a keyblade wielder, and it was finally here. He practiced his combat skills simply to pass the time while he was waiting on the field. Eraqus had come out about an hour after him, and joined him in practicing. They had a few duels while waiting, until finally the light shone over the field, letting them know it was time. They headed inside, to find their Master. He hadn't told them where to meet him at, so they looked all through the castle. As they left the castle to look outside, they saw him standing on the edge of the mountain.<p>

"Master!" Xehanort yelled.

"Yes, Xehanort?"

"Where are we taking the Mark of Mastery at? Will we be in the castle?" He replied back.

"Come to me. Both of you." He told them. They quickly ran over to him, and looked over at him.

"Where will we be going, Master?" Eraqus asked? Their Master simply pointed down, off the edge of the mountain.

"I used to practice in secret in a hidden oasis at the bottom of the mountain. It was there I both mentally, spirtually, and physically prepared myself for my own Mark of Mastery exam. I have been meaning to show you both, and I've decided that is where you will both prove your skill. We'll be walking down the mountain, so keep your keyblade gliders away."

"Yes, Master." They both replied back. They walked together down an open path on the mountain, until after a short while, they reached the bottom of the mountain. Eraqus and Xehanort stood looking around for the oasis, but couldn't find anything. Their Master, however, walked forward to a small puddle of water in the middle of the canyon surrounding them.

"I remember finding this as if it were just yesterday... Come to me." He told them. They walked over to him, and he motioned to the puddle. "This was an accidental discovery, but a fruitious one, nonetheless. Step into the water." He instructed them. They did so, and when one stepped onto the puddle, they would seemingly fall into it. After falling in, they would land in a cave filled with water around the edges.

"Whoa.." Eraqus said, looking around at the cave.

"It is a sight to see, indeed. But this is not the oasis yet. Follow me." He said, walking forward. They followed him yet again, and finally, at the end, exited the cave onto a good sized circle shaped field. It had waterfalls, it seemed, on the outer rim of the field. It was intriguing to Eraqus and Xehanort because it seemed to magically keep flowing water into the waterfall, even though there was no source of water it could have done so from. There were palm trees on the left and right of the immediate entrance to the cave, and Xehanort gazed at them for a short while. Eraqus finally snapped him out of it.

"What's wrong, Xehanort?" He asked, tapping his brother on the shoulder.

"These trees... this grass... the water. It reminds me of my original home." he explained, walking over to one of the palm trees. He kicked it and caught something that fell from the tree. He showed it to Eraqus. "This is a... paopu fruit, I think it was called. I didn't know it grew anywhere other than my original world."

"What's so special about a fruit? I don't suppose it's tastier, is it? Or made of candy?" Eraqus said, laughing.

"No, it's nothing like that. It was something I heard about all the time, these fruits. They said that if two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They're connected to each other forever, and they'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what." Xehanort explained. Eraqus stepped forward to Xehanort, looking at the fruit.

"That actually sounds cool. Hey, Xehanort. Let's share this paopu fruit."

"Why?"

"I wouldn't want to lose any sort of connection with you. You're my brother, Xehanort."

"It's just a myth, though." Xehanort said, shrugging.

"But have you ever heard of anything like that happening with anything else that we actually do? Nope, you don't. Come on, even if it doesn't work, it won't matter." Eraqus said, holding his hand out. Xehanort chuckled lightly, and broke the fruit into half. He gave Eraqus the half, and ate his piece, as Eraqus ate the other. Their Master called them over to him once more after they were finished.

"This is where you will take the Mark of Mastery. You will be found worthy of the rank of Keyblade Master by proving your skills in combat, friendship, and wisdom. You will need to don your armor for this, so I suggest you do so now.

"Of course." They both said. Eraqus and Xehanort quickly activated their keyblade armor, and drew their keyblades by their side.

"Good, good. Now, though you are proving three specific skills, it will be shown through your actions in two simple battles. One against the shade I will summon, and then one against each other. You will fight the shade first." He explained, stepping back to the cave entrance. He pointed the open palm of his hand towards the middle of the field, summoning a large, black and dark blue creature. It's arms were extremely long, it's fingers pointed and sharp. It seemed to have small, twisted wings on it's back, and it had yellow glowing eyes. In the middle of the creature, there was a heart-shaped hole. It seemed to be, for the time, asleep. "This is your first challenge. Though it is indeed a creature from the realm of darkness, it represents the duties you are given in becoming keyblade Masters, which is to keep peace in the realm of light. Denizens of darkness intrude upon the realm of light constantly, and as keyblade Masters, you will face creatures such as this one. I will not need to explain any further. You may begin." He said, snapping his fingers. As he did so, the creature woke up quickly. It looked to Xehanort and Eraqus, and quickly attempted grabbing Xehanort. With a quick slash to it's hand, however, Xehanort avoided being picked up. Eraqus, however, had not been so fortunate. While distracted by rushing to help Xehanort, the creature had picked up Eraqus in it's other hand. Xehanort looked upward and lunged into the air at the creature's arm, slicing and slashing at it until it finally let go of Eraqus. They both landed, and readied their keyblades. Together, they ran in and began attacking it. During their attacks, however, Eraqus attempted climbing up onto the creature to attack it from above, while Xehanort did so from below. As Eraqus attempted a slash at it's neck, it straightened itself quickly, pushing Eraqus off of it. It lifted it's arm into the air and a dark aura eminated from it, surrounding mostly the hand. Xehanort lunged again into the air to attack it's hand, but was met with the hand punching itself downward onto him. It quickly pinned him between the creature's fist and the ground. Darkness slithered down from it's fist, covering Xehanort and flooding around him onto the ground. Eraqus rushed in to help, but was swiped aside, as Xehanort became impossible to see through the flood-like darkness around him. Suddenly, however, Xehanort would lunge upward, cutting himself out of the creature's hand. The dark residue around him filled him with the power of darkness, and he began rapidly and powerfully attacking the creature, teleporting to all sides and heights, slashing at it. Finally, he teleported himself into the heart-shaped hole, and cut the two tendons attatching it's bottom and upper halfs together. He lunged out, and teleported himself behind the creature as he stabbed forward, allowing him to stab the creature through it's head with his keyblade. He pulled the keyblade from it, and jumped back, landing on the ground. As the creature fell apart to the ground, it sunk back into darkness. The flooded land around it quickly returned to the grassy field it had been prior to the summoning. Xehanort collapsed as the creature faded away. Eraqus ran to help him.

"Xehanort! Xehanort, are you alright! Say something!" Eraqus said, shaking Xehanort in his arms.

"I'm... I'm fine, Eraqus." Xehanort said, getting up. Eraqus stood as well, and they both looked to their Master.

"Now that you are both finished with the first battle, you will begin the second and final battle. Both of you to opposite sides." He told them, pointing to the sides. Xehanort took the left, and Eraqus took the right. They readied their keyblades for their Master's call to begin. He continued, "This is not a fight you must win to show your skill, but a fight where your actions within it show me your skills. You are to not harm the other, and you are to simply face each other in keyblade to keyblade combat until I call for you both to cease the battle. Now, begin."

"Time to show me what you can do, right, Xehanort?" Eraqus said laughing across the field.

"And what do you mean by that?" Xehanort asked.

"We both know you hold back against me in our duels so you won't harm me. I won't take that in this battle. Give it all you've got against me, Xehanort!" Eraqus yelled in reply. Xehanort chuckled.

"Not so foolish after all, it seems. Very well, Eraqus. I'll give you a fight!" He said, running towards Eraqus. They fought each other for a quite a while, their Master observing closely. He finally called the battle to an end, and walked to them as they de-activated their armor.

"I am extremely impressed with both of your skills. You have shown superb combat capabilities, you have shown you understand the meaning of friendship in combat, and you have shown exceedingly incredible wisdom in figuring out quickly how to end the fight before it takes it's toll on anything." He told them, walking over to Eraqus. "Draw your Keyblade, Eraqus." He said. Eraqus did so, and their Master spoke again. "I hereby grant you the position of Keyblade Master, Eraqus. You will show your proof of Mastery in combat, with your keyblade being the evidence." He reached out and carefully took the hilt of the keyblade, transforming it into a more powerful version of itself. He walked over to Xehanort after he was done with Eraqus. "Xehanort..." he said. Though neither Eraqus nor Xehanort heard him, he whispered under his breath. "What am I to do with you..?" He looked at Xehanort's keyblade, and then up to Xehanort himself again. "You have shown your skill, Xehanort, but your use of darkness in the first battle, though partially involuntary, was alarming to me. I cannot make the decision regarding your mastery right away. Come to me tomorrow, and I will tell you what I have decided. I apologize." He said, his face looking a bit down. He began to walk away.

"Master...!" Xehanort exclaimed. Eraqus seemed to be in shock, as well.

"Master, Xehanort showed his skill perfectly! The darkness was an accident! You saw what happened, didn't you!" Eraqus yelled to him. Their Master turned to face them once more.

"He showed skill that surpasses that of many that have trained as keyblade wielders here in the Land of Departure. I would say he surpasses that of even what I was like at his age. But... even in the most dire of situations, one must not wield the power of darkness. Especially such as he did. I am not saying he isn't going to become a master, but I cannot make the decision right away. I must have time to think." He explained, and walked away finally. Xehanort seemed to be crushed by this, emotionally. Why was he so further condemned? When it was not even his own fault this time? He told Eraqus he was sorry, and headed to his room to go to sleep very early that night.

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><p>Day 5, and the Mark of Mastery exam, are over! Look for Day 6 either later tonight, or tomorrow!<p> 


	6. Day 6

Back, finally! Had things preventing me from continuing the story as soon as I'd wanted to, but it's back now! Day 6 of Broken Brotherhood!

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><p><strong>Day 6<strong>

Xehanort had a tough time getting to sleep the night before. He had been told his mastery of the keyblade warranted more time, while Eraqus' mastery didn't? He couldn't understand it. He didn't even mean to use the darkness! He got up, and stayed in his room for a little while, pondering yet again why darkness was so condemned. Eraqus was his brother, yes, but his view of things was too narrow and small. Xehanort believed he saw the entire picture, rather than staring at a certain section. He was also, undoubtedly, more skilled than Eraqus as well. He finally decided to leave his room, and take a walk through the castle. He looked at the castle's interior more closely than he thought he'd ever done before.

"These walls," he thought to himself, "were made not only for light. We are supposed to be the guardians of balance, not of light only. The darkness is too scarce, and the light is too much! We are supposed to make sure that the world is kept in perfect balance. This castle has gone from a home for those protecting the balance to a home for those upsetting it. If I'm not made a master, I can't do anything from here to reset the balance." He continued thinking as he walked to the throne room. In the throne room, his master sat on the middle throne. He looked over to Xehanort, and smiled a bit.

"Xehanort. I've been expecting you. I've made my decision." He told him, getting up from the throne.

"You have? What is your decision, Master?" Xehanort asked, eager to hear.

"I have decided... You have shown great skill in wielding the keyblade, and your wisdom is beyond that of your age. But, you have a strange obsession with darkness." His master explained. Xehanort knew he had failed. At least, he did. Until his master continued speaking. "But, what you've learned, and what you know, far outweighs your small obsession with darkness, and your very limited use of it. You have shown me over the years, that you have the mark of a Keyblade Master. Come to me, Xehanort." He told him. Xehanort quickly walked over, and kneeled.

"I have waited a long time for this day, my Master." He told him, happily.

"Present your keyblade, Xehanort." He said. Xehanort quickly held his keyblade, blade facing the ceiling. His master placed his hand upon Xehanort's keyblade. "On this Keyblade, and it's wielder, I present the mark of Mastery. Honestly earned, skillfully fought for. Rise, Master Xehanort." He told him, as his keyblade transformed into a more powerful version of itself. Xehanort stood, and smiled at his master.

"I thank you greatly for this, Master. I will not disappoint you." Xehanort told his master. He was patted on the back, and watched as his master left the room. He had finally made it. Xehanort had finally achieved what he had wanted from the start of his time as a keyblade warrior. He ran ouside, and looked for Eraqus. He finally found him, and approached him.

"Xehanort! Xehanort, I'm really sorry about yesterday-" Eraqus started. Xehanort, however, interrupted him.

"It doesn't matter, Eraqus! I just came from seeing the Master. I'm a Keyblade Master myself, now!" He told Eraqus, excitedly. Eraqus' face lit up, and he hugged Xehanort.

"You deserve it, Xehanort. You definately deserve it." He told his brother. He ran over to the edge of the hill, and looked back to Xehanort. "Glider race?" He asked.

"Of course. I could never pass up a chance to beat you at something!" Xehanort laughed. They summoned their gliders, and raced the rest of the day. It had been a good day for Xehanort. A good day indeed.

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><p>And so, Xehanort becomes Master Xehanort! Not much in this chapter, but the next chapters will most definately make up for that, believe me! Look for Day 7 soon!<p> 


	7. Day 7

**Day 7**  
>For so long, Xehanort had thought his existance on his world was so meaningless. But, now... Now he was a Keyblade Master. He had power beyond what he could have dreamt of before. He was seen worthy, and he was risen as such. Now, he thought, he could change things. They had told him that change would ruin everything, and it would not be possible. The balance he seeked for Light and Darkness would never be realized. Xehanort wanted to change that. He didn't know, however, exactly how he would do so. He couldn't ask Eraqus or his own Master for advice; they had told him already not to seek that. He knew the role that the denizens of the Land of Departure had for themselves, though. He would think of something. For now, though, he was simply standing on the edge of the cliff, at the place he had taken and passed his Mark of Mastery.<p>

"Master... I'm going to have to get used to that title." He said quietly, to himself. Looking up at the sky, he could see the clouds, and the sun above. He continued his train of thought for only a few more moments, though.

"What's going on, Xehanort?" Eraqus said as he walked up from behind.

"Oh, Eraqus. Nothing, really. What are you doing here?"

"The Master sent me. He's called for us." Eraqus said, walking back a bit.

"Hm? Okay, then." Xehanort replied, following Eraqus' steps.

"I think he wants to show us something. He said to make sure we were prepared... or something. I'm not sure, really." Eraqus told Xehanort as they walked on. They reached the top of the cliff, where their Master was standing.

"Master Eraqus, Master Xehanort. Good to see you both back." He said, bowing and chuckling a bit. Xehanort and Eraqus bowed as well.

"What is it you wish to show us, Master?" Xehanort asked, looking a bit inquisitive. He had seen pretty much everything in the Land of Departure, by now. What could be next?

"I have come to show you the reason we are here. The very point of us being here, guarding the worlds." Their Master told them, turning to face away from them. He opened a portal, and summoned his own armor. Xehanort and Eraqus instinctively did so, as well.

"Where are we going?" Eraqus asked. Their master faced them, a bit.

"You shall see, Eraqus." He told him, walking through the portal. Eraqus walked in next, and finally Xehanort stepped through. They came out from the portal, into what seemed to be a desolate wasteland.

"This place... I will be able to tell you, soon enough." Their Master told them, as he began walking forward, de-summoning his armor. Xehanort did so as well, with Eraqus following their actions. They kept following their master, until they reached a tunnel. As they walked through the tunnel, they could see something in the distance; a field of... Keyblades? This puzzled them. As they exited the tunnel, they stood stationary as their Master turned. Eraqus looked around, and was the first to ask.

"Where are we?" He said, looking around further. Xehanort was intrigued, as well.

"This place... it's true, original name has been lost. To all who come here, it is now simply known as the Keyblade Graveyard. I have told you before of the legendary battle that once took place. One between darkness, and light. This is where that battle was fought." He explained. Xehanort seemed to be lost in the masses of chainless blades surrounding them, but quickly snapped out of it.

"The Keyblade War?"

"Yes, Xehanort. The Keyblade War. This is where it was fought. I never did tell you both the full story. Now... I believe it is time I did so. You are both Masters. and you should know of this. Around you lie the powerless, dead keyblades of wielders long departed. A long time ago, there was a battle. The denizens of light grew weary of the darkness, as the darkness grew weary of the light. They became enraged with one another, and they fought. However, they did not expect that their endless fighting would bring about a prize to whoever may win. The Keyblade War had begun, and it's prize was above all others. Kingdom Hearts, the heart of all worlds. They fought so long, to gain it's power. There were a few endings to this legend. Some say that they ended their fighting, and drew apart the world to be many. Others say that Kingdom Hearts itself ended the war, breaking apart the worlds. The most believed, however, was that they continued fighting, never ceasing. The popular story of the war is that there was a child, born of Light and Darkness. He participated in the war, and was granted a weapon to end the war with. The X-Blade, it is called I believe. A keyblade, not made of man, but made with Kingdom Hearts. Not existing for it, but existing with it. The story tells that the child, burdened with losses and sorrow, ascended to Kingdom Hearts. There, he struck it, and the world was shattered into many. None have seen Kingdom Hearts to this day, nor the X-Blade. This world remains, however. A reminder to those who would seek to cause misery and chaos. There were so many lives lost. So many dreams shattered. The keyblade war devastated everything. I thought it appropriate that you know of it, so that you would take into account this reminder, and let it fuel your actions. Never again should there be a Keyblade War. The loss as shown here, is too great. The worlds are shattered now, and must not be shattered further. I was shown this as a boy, and now I show it to you both." He concluded. Xehanort had been listening intently, as had Eraqus.

"I would never let something like this happen.." Eraqus said, softly. He looked over to Xehanort.

"This does signify much. I thank you, Master, for showing us. It is a lesson well learned."

"Indeed it is. You will both see to it that balance is kept, and that the worlds remain peaceful. Now, the lesson is over. Let's return home, shall we?" Their Master then opened a portal back to the Lands of Departure. He walked through, armor summoned. Eraqus summoned his own, and entered the portal. Xehanort stood for a moment longer, gazing at the graveyard. He turned his eyes to the portal, and summoned his armor. As he walked forward and through the portal, he couldn't help but take one last glance at the wasteland. This may have been his best lesson, yet.

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><p>I am so sorry for not having updated in a while. I've not had the time or the inspiration to do so. But, I've found both again! Hope to see Day 8 coming soon!<p> 


	8. Day 8

**Day 8**  
>That was what he had been waiting for. He could have fallen asleep easily the night before, but he had too much to think about. The X-Blade, a weapon existing <em>alongside<em>Kingdom Hearts, rather than for it. Such a weapon would have incredible power. This was not coincidence, Xehanort believed. He had been concerned about the balance between Darkness and Light, but he did not have the power to do anything about it, as his Master had told him before. But with a weapon such as that, he would have that power. He could tell it was still very early. Just minutes before when he'd looked outside of his window, the sky outside was dark. Now, it was starting to light up. He shut his curtain, and quickly got dressed. He went outside quietly, so he wouldn't wake anyone up. He walked down the mountain, and stepped into the puddle. As he landed in the cave, he took no time to begin walking out to the small field outside. Looking upward, he saw the rising sun.

"And here I thought my original home was small.." he said to himself, thinking. He'd wanted to be able to experience freedom. He thought he had, for a while. Coming to live in the Lands of Departure was very good for him, but he realized now he was not _truly_free. His use of darkness limited his freedom, somewhat. He held up his right hand, and a small orb of darkness formed in it, floating slightly above his hand at his command.

"Is this so condemned?" His hand rose high, and he threw the orb to the ground. A portal formed above the orb at impact with the ground. Stepping forward, he was going to summon his armor, but he did not see a reason to do so at this point. If he wanted to achieve balance for the worlds, he would have to achieve balance for himself. As he stepped through the portal, he appeared in a dark realm of nothingness, given form in only a white stone bridge leading further into the darkness, seemingly never-ending. He walked forward, and continued to do so. He'd heard of this place before, but he'd never been here. The Realm of Darkness, the home of those who chose this power. Xehanort did not choose only this power, though. He would not want to make this his home. And then, it dawned on him.

"This realm is exactly as I thought," he said to himself, "empty and desolate. As we've made it from the Realm of Light. We've destroyed their home." Walking forward further into the realm, he was stopped by a creature rising from the depths below the bridge. It was one of the same creatures he'd fought during his Mark of Mastery test. It stared at him with glowing yellow eyes, and he stared back at it. He would normally draw his keyblade, but he did not want to fight this creature. He wanted to help it. Not just it, though... everyone and everything in this realm, he wanted to help.

"You do not need to attack me, creature," he yelled, "for I do not mean you harm." It would crouch down a bit, getting a better look at Xehanort. He looked back up at it, and spoke once more.

"I will not do you harm in your own realm. That is the opposite of what I'm looking to do. I don't want to destroy you, or your realm... I want to expand it." He explained, as the creature gazed at him. It stood, and ignited a flame in it's hand, throwing it onto the bridge, in front of Xehanort. It opened a massive portal. Xehanort, however, shook his head.

"I cannot, now. Perhaps another day. I will come back, though. But I've been gone from my own realm for too long." And with this, the creature withdrew the flame, and then turned it's head to Xehanort for a moment longer. It disappeared into the darkness. Xehanort now knew this cause was not a lost one. These creatures in this realm were not naturally violent, which confirmed Xehanort's opinion on their reasons for attacking the Realm of Light. He opened up his own portal, this time, and entered back into the Realm of Light, in his own room. Looking outside, the sun had come up fully. Eraqus would be coming by soon to wake him up, and Xehanort decided he would spend the rest of the day alongside Eraqus. But now, he had a plan of sorts brewing in his mind...

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><p>Xehanort's first time in the Realm of Darkness... What could be next? That's up to you to wonder, and up to me to write out! Look for Day 9 soon!<p> 


	9. Day 9

**Day 9**  
>His travels in the realm of darkness from the day before, though short in time, opened his eyes further. He had known the darkness had shrunk, but he did not believe it had gone this far. He had been thinking since he left the realm of darkness. About what he could do... what he could make different, to change things. To balance things out. This X-Blade... it was definately something to think about. A blade such as that would give it's wielder the power to change things. But, until then, he had his keyblade, which he drew at that point. A keyblade from the realm of light. Looking at it further, it dawned on him. If he's looking to bring balance, he would need to balance not only himself, but his choice of weapon. If he was a denizen of the realm of light, he would need to wield a weapon from the realm of darkness. He'd heard of Keyblades from there, before. He seemed to be getting into the habit of making these plans and going to these places before light broke. Fitting, he thought. It was in darkness he would have to dwell as a denizen of light to bring balance to himself. He would need to make sure to be back before light struck this time. Eraqus and him had not talked much the previous day, and Xehanort knew he would want to practice and race today.<p>

"This isn't exactly... conventional, but it's going to have to work for now." He said to himself as he opened a portal to the realm of darkness. Entering it as naturally as he had any other portals, he appeared on the bridge from before. He had heard of rituals such as this; bathing one's keyblade in an element to empower it. Reaching his arm out, his keyblade materialized. He held it, blade facing upward, in front of him. With his free hand, he would reach out into the nothingness around him, shrouding his hand in darkness. He slid his fingers across his keyblade, darkness seeping from them into the keyblade. Soon enough, the entire blade was drowned in darkness and shadow. He let go of the blade, at which he looked around to see several of the creatures from the day before rising from the pits below. There were four of them, two on each side. They looked to Xehanort, and then to the blade floating in front of him. They pointed their hands towards the blade, casting shadows onto it further. They stopped as the blade seemingly exploded in darkness, and disappeared soon after. Xehanort reached into the orb of shadow left behind, and pulled from it his new weapon. He had seen this blade before, if only in his dreams and his own heart and mind. A grey and black keyblade, with a blue glowing eye-like orb socketed in the top middle of the blade. A weapon of darkness, for a denizen of light... this would be his tool.

"This is going to have to work.. I can't let things go on like this." He whispered to himself. Opening up a portal to the realm of light once more, he walked through. Through his window he saw it was not yet light outside, but he still left his room. Standing at the cliffside, he looked at the stars as they disappeared from the sky, light filling it as night became day. His realization of night being cut short by day was one he would not soon forget. But it was one that would not soon matter, though. He was going to balance things. In the end, the world would be perfect for all. Denizens of darkness in harmony with denizens of light. It was a world beyond the perfection of dreams. He looked over as his name was called, and saw Eraqus. He had thought out everything, he'd thought. But what of his brother? What of his Master? They did not agree. They prefered the world as it was now: a world fit to lean to their side, giving them peace, but their gift was in turn chaos for those dwelling in darkness. He would not be able to tell either of his plans. He would need to leave sometime soon, without say. He would first spend his last days with them, however. The two he called his true family... He would return someday. And he would show them he was right, and he would show them the peace he'd brought to the worlds and realms. He greeted Eraqus and spent the rest of the day thinking and racing with his brother.

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><p>Things are being wrapped up... But they're most definitely not over yet. I've got what may be a shock for you all in the end! Look for the last four days coming up soon!<p> 


	10. Day 10

**Day 10**  
>Since his first visit to the Keyblade Graveyard, and then to the Realm of Darkness, Xehanort had started on a journal. One seperate from his usual. In this journal, he kept his notes on what he might be able to do. On the power of darkness, and things of the sort. He had been writing most of the morning, detailing his thoughts into pen. He decided to take a break from his writing, however. During this time he walked through the castle, looking for his Master. He could not find him, though. Nor could he find Eraqus. When he looked outside, he was not able to find them, as well. He walked down to the bottom of the hill, where he found both his Master and Eraqus talking to each other, near the puddle.<p>

"I know, Eraqus. However, Xehanort is right, but it will not come to-" His Master cut off as he looked over and saw Xehanort. This triggered suspicion from Xehanort, though he did not make it known.

"Hello, Master." He said, looking over to Eraqus and then back to his Master.

"Xehanort," his Master began, "me and Eraqus had begun to think you'd slept in again." He chuckled. Eraqus walked over and patted Xehanort on the shoulder.

"Finally decided to get up, sleepy head?" He laughed. Xehanort softly laughed a little, as well.

"Good morning to you too, Eraqus. Would you mind if I spoke to the Master in private for a few minutes?" Xehanort asked.

"Oh. Sure, I suppose. I'll be up by the castle, then!" Eraqus told him, running off. Xehanort walked over and looked down to the puddle, then back up at his Master.

"You have something heavy laying dormant in your mind. I can tell from the look on your face." His Master told him.

"Yes, I do. I know we agreed to cut off the talk of darkness and such things, but I seem to have come to a realization." Xehanort explained, pacing.

"What might that realization be?" The Master inquired.

"We're constantly under attack from the darkness. While yes, we must defend ourselves... There must be a reason they are attacking us."

"That is because it is in their nature. They are constant, and will not stop until they control everything."

"Perhaps. But surely, we cannot keep our minds that closed. There must be some reason they're attacking more than usual, steadily increasing over the years." Xehanort replied quickly.

"What are you getting at, Xehanort?" His Master asked, a slightly confused look on his face.

"The realm of light is extremely expansive. And it's continually growing, every second. Might we be taking from the darkness? Upsetting the balance ourselves, and continually feeding it?" Xehanort asked. He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear his Master's reply.

"I have told you, Xehanort, there is no way to reset the balance. It is fine as is-" He said, being cut off quickly by Xehanort, though.

"I mean no disrespect, but while yes, it is fine for now... If it is growing, an increasing imbalance, things will not be fine for much longer."

"I have told you before, I will not purposely turn those from the Light to the Darkness. I will not destroy lives and worlds, either. There is nothing that can be done, Xehanort, and I keep telling you that. Why do you insist upon trying to change my mind?"

"I do not want to change just your mind. I want to change the world, for the better." Xehanort explained.

"This will not change the world for better. It will destroy us all." The Master quickly stated.

"You do not understand, Master! I do not mean to be disrespectful to you, but you do not seem to understand this! If we continue going the way we are, we will all be destroyed regardless! This way gives us a chance to survive!"

"Do not test my patience, Xehanort! I will not change my stance on this! You forget that as a keyblade wielder, you are meant to protect the worlds, not change them drastically!" His master told him, angrily.

"And that is why, Master, we are in this predicament!" Xehanort told him, stomping off. His Master sighed, frustrated.

"And I had thought you had learned so much.." The master quietly said to himself.

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><p>Xehanort's getting pretty upset, now...<p> 


	11. Day 11

**Day 11**  
>Xehanort didn't talk to anyone for the rest of the previous day, after having been angered by his Master. Today, he would wake up to Eraqus knocking on his door. He had been dressed still from the previous day, and opened the door.<p>

"Hey, Xehanort." Eraqus said quietly.

"Hello, Eraqus. What's going on?" Xehanort inquired.

"Not much... want to go take a walk with me?" Eraqus said, smiling a bit.

"I suppose." Xehanort replied quickly, walking a bit out of the room and closing his door. They walked through the castle slowly, neither saying a word for a short while. Finally, Eraqus spoke up.

"The Master's been talking to me about you." He said, looking over to Xehanort. This slightly piqued Xehanort's interest.

"What about?" He asked.

"To keep an eye on you. To try and be a positive influence. The Master really doesn't like your use of darkness." Eraqus explained. Xehanort sighed angrily, and stopped walking right there. Eraqus turned and stopped, looking at Xehanort.

"I don't need anyone keeping an eye on me. Nor do I need a positive influence." Xehanort said, looking up at Eraqus.

"I don't mean to be rude but-" Eraqus said, cut off by Xehanort.

"But what?" Xehanort yelled, angry.

"But you do need someone to keep you in check. You remember what happened during the Mark of Mastery! You fell to the darkness, even if it was just for a little! Xehanort, you don't need darkness..." He pleaded.

"And what would you know of it's power first-hand, Eraqus? Nothing! You know nothing of it's power! Both you and our Master are blind! You both say you're trying to protect balance, but you're far too biased!"

"Xehanort, please, stop!" Eraqus cried out.

"I will not bend my actions to fit correctly into the eyes of biased fools! I will not stop what I am doing, because it is the universal right! A balance, of light and darkness!" Xehanort explained, almost barking these words out to Eraqus.

"Xehanort, you don't understand-"

"Get out of my sight, Eraqus." Xehanort curtly replied, cutting off Eraqus' words. In Eraqus' eyes, Xehanort could see the fragments of sorrow piecing themselves together. But, it was Eraqus' fault, not his.

"Okay, then. I'll see you later, I guess. Bye." Eraqus said, almost whispering. He left to his room. Xehanort continued walking, faster than before. He ran outside, and opened up a portal at the bottom of the hill, where he walked through into the realm of darkness. Strange, he thought. It was the realm of darkness where anger and sorrow was supposed to reign supreme, but for Xehanort, this was a place of calming. A place he could go to, when he did not wish to be bothered or upset. This was his place of rest, from time to time. He walked for what seemed like hours on the bridge, until he stopped at the sight of one of the shadow beings rising. He looked up towards it, and it looked down back at him.

"You're just misunderstood," He told the creature, "just like I am. We'll have our time. We'll come to that day, where all of us will be able to live peacefully alongside one another, regardless of light or dark. I swear we will. I'll see to it myself."

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><p>We're almost there...<p> 


	12. Day 12

**Day 12**  
>Xehanort had not left the realm of darkness, yet. He had been expressing his feelings and his thoughts to the shadow creature near him, though it did not speak back. Finally, Xehanort spoke his last words for now, to the creature.<p>

"I have decided, I suppose. It's time for me to leave my home. I thank you for listening... They are most definitely wrong about the darkness." He said, opening up a portal back to the Land of Departure. He walked through, and was back where he had originally entered the first portal. He stepped over to the puddle, where he dropped down into the cavern. He walked straight ahead, not bothering to look back or to give his action of leaving a second thought. He already had his journal with him, and he decided that was all he needed, now. He exited the cavern, looking up at the sky. It was dawn. It was then that he realized he'd been away for about a day, now.

"The time must pass faster in the Realm of Darkness." He concluded. He was about to summon his armor and glider when he heard him calling out.

"Xehanort!" Eraqus yelled, running out from the cavern. Xehanort turned to look at Eraqus, who he noticed almost right away was holding his other journal.

"What do you want now, Eraqus?" Xehanort asked.

"I'm not here to ask you for anything. I'm here to tell you that you're staying here. I'm not going to let you do what you said you wanted to do in this journal!" He replied, throwing the journal at Xehanort's feet.

"I'm not going to fight you, Eraqus. Nor would you want to fight me, now. I'm leaving." Xehanort told him, turning and preparing to summon his armor. He stopped yet again when he heard the familiar sound... the sound of Eraqus drawing his keyblade.

"I guess I can't talk you out of this. I don't want to do this, Xehanort... but I will!" Eraqus yelled.

"Put your keyblade down, Eraqus. Stop acting like a spoiled child. This time, you won't be getting what you want." Xehanort explained. Eraqus' facial expression went from upset to angry.

"Enough! I'll MAKE you stay here!" He screamed, jumping forward to attack Xehanort. He was quickly pushed away by Xehanort's slash of his own keyblade. Eraqus followed up by landing safely and rushing in, slicing at Xehanort while doing so. Xehanort would disappear as he was sliced, appearing behind Eraqus to slash downward at him, only to be guarded by Eraqus, who quickly turned to block. Xehanort growled.

"Don't test me, Eraqus." He said, kicking Eraqus back. Eraqus summoned his glider, flying upward and de-summoning it to fall downward, shooting bolts of light at Xehanort the entire descent. Xehanort was swiftly able to cut away each single bolt, jumping upward to meet Eraqus mid-air. Their keyblades clashed, Xehanort pushing his keyblade forward to knock Eraqus back. Xehanort landed, as Eraqus brought his keyblade down into the ground, sending shockwaves out in each direction. Xehanort teleported himself upward, lunging downward at Eraqus to push him back into the cavern. Eraqus struggled to stay in place, soon swiping forward to force Xehanort to jump back. He began to summon orbs of light from his keyblade, sending them flying at Xehanort. He continuously fired what seemed to be hundreds of small bolts at the orbs as they impacted with Xehanort. They exploded in a huge, violent light show, at which Eraqus walkd over to bring Xehanort with him. To his shock, however, darkness eminated strongly through the residue of light, dissolving them into even more darkness. Xehanort screamed with anger, the aura of darkness around him pushing itself out in massive waves. Eraqus jumped up, lodging his keyblade into the upper part of the hill, protecting himself from the waves. Xehanort teleported in front of Eraqus, grabbing him by the neck and throwing him down to the ground, where he landed. Xehanort pushed himself forward off of the hill, slicing furiously at the air, sending bolts and waves of darkness at Eraqus. Though he was able to fight off most of the bolts and waves, Eraqus was hit by a few, which was followed up by Xehanort angrily attacking Eraqus with his keyblade, pushing a defending Eraqus to his knees. Xehanort kicked Eraqus down, which pushed him back a bit. At this point, Xehanort qalked slowly over to an exhausted and defeated Eraqus. With keyblade in hand, Xehanort prepared to finish the fight. He sliced downward, only to be blocked by an un-expected figure: His own master. Xehanort jumped back, looking up to his master.

"You have gotten too out of hand, Xehanort. I will not allow you to kill Eraqus." He said, holding his keyblade at his side. Xehanort growled, furious at this interruption.

"You are all blind! I cannot explain to you, nor can I forcibly make you see! If you will not fight for balance, you will not fight for ANYTHING!" Xehanort explained in a yell, lunging at his Master. Through Eraqus' barely open eyes, he could see only Xehanort and his Master teleporting at almost every turn, both struggling to end the fight in their own manner. Eraqus finally passed out, as Xehanort appeared finally at the edge of the cliff. He shrouded his keyblade in darkness, which overflowed to Xehanort himself. He then lunged at his master, who teleported behind Xehanort's lunge, slicing down at Xehanort's back. Xehanort collapsed, defeated. He turned weakly, looking up at his Master who walked over to him. As his master knelt down, Xehanort became unconcious.

"Perhaps nothing can be done about you, Xehanort."

* * *

><p>I figured you would all be expecting Eraqus and Xehanort clashing, but...<p> 


	13. Day 13

Xehanort woke up. Though, he did not wake up where he had lost concious. He woke up in his bed, as he always did, every day.  
>"They want to keep me here, locked up... I will not be a prisoner here." He thought to himself, getting up. His things had been locked away, but he still had access to his Keyblade and his Armor, as they had faded back into the darkness when he had been defeated. He walked out of his room, and down the hall. He stopped, momentarily, as he heard his Master call for him. He looked back, to see his former teacher walking towards him, but he simply turned his head and walked away from him.<p>

"Xehanort, wait." His master called.

"I will not wait to hear the words of a man whose views I don't share." Xehanort replied, not even turning his head to do so. He walked out of the castle, and to the cliff.

"You are not making a wise decision, Xehanort." His Master would tell him, stopping as he reached Xehanort.

"And you are the one who declares decisions wise? You are the one to declare what is wise, based on how you think? I don't believe in that sort of thinking. Not anymore." Xehanort told him, looking over.

"I know what I was taught, and I know that you are making a horrible decision." He would tell Xehanort, his face as that of a concerned father's would be. Eraqus would run out, yelling.

"Master! Is he gone? Has he left?" Eraqus would ask, stopping and panting. He would look up, over to Xehanort.

"He is still here, Eraqus. Though I doubt he will stay long." Their Master said, looking over to Eraqus.

"Neither of you can stop me from leaving this place. You'd have to kill me." Xehanort told them, turning finally to face them both.

"Xehanort... please-" Eraqus cried out. He was, however, interrupted.

"Please? All of the times I had begged and pleaded for you both to understand me, and YOU have the nerve to plead to ME? My thoughts of you seem better than you actually do, Eraqus." Xehanort said, an angry look covering his face.

"I won't let you go out there, Xehanort. I won't let you do what you want to do with the worlds!" Eraqus yelled, drawing his keyblade. Their master would quickly draw his, blocking Eraqus.

"Let him go, Eraqus. He has thought about this, and he has made his decision. If we need to stop him in time, we will. But for now, let him wander."

"The first bit of sense I've heard in days, now! And a wise choice from one who calls himself a Master." Xehanort would tell him, turning away and beginning to walk away. Eraqus would de-summon his keyblade, running past their Master. He would speak to Xehanort once more.

"Come back... okay, Xehanort? Just go out and come back." Eraqus said, pleading. Xehanort would turn to face Eraqus one last time.

"If I come back, I will come back to change the worlds as I intend to... this one included." He told Eraqus, walking away finally. Eraqus and their Master would look on as he opened the door to the outside. The light from outside would fade and quickly cease to shine as the door shut, blocking it off.

"He will be back, Eraqus. Do not worry."

"I know he will... but for what reasons, Master?"

* * *

><p>I apologize greatly for not having updated in so long! The story isn't over, yet. We've got one more main story chapter to go...<p> 


	14. Day 14: Epilogue

Xehanort remembered coming here with Eraqus and their Master. It was a barren wasteland, and tornadoes and dust filled the sky. He looked at each dead keyblade as he walked by, the rows seemingly endless as he searched for the center. As he neared what he believed to be the center, where the four roads would meet, he noticed a large tornado, wisps of darkness and light bolting from it. He donned his armor to stay safe, and continued walking up the path. He walked closer and closer to the vortex, a figure becoming more and more visible in the center of it. He was slowed by the powerful winds as he got to the threshold of the tornado. He summoned his keyblade, and struck at the vortex, making it disappear. He looked back over to the center, where the figure was now clearly visible. A man, clad in rusted, darkened armor. A cape hung from the shoulders and neck as the figure knelt.

"And who are you?" Xehanort asked. The man would not respond. Xehanort would walk over, and tap the man on the shoulder. The figure would look upwards at Xehanort, it's helmet visor blackened and impossible to see through. Xehanort backed away a bit, as the man slowly stood up. His cape fell to the floor, barely touching the ground as he fully stood. He stared at Xehanort for a moment, silent.

"What is this," Xehanort asked, "and who are you!" He said, holding his keyblade ready. The man turned his vision to the Keyblade, and then back to Xehanort. He raised his hand to the sky, and would summon a large orb of shadow and light. The orb would disappear, and Xehanort noticed a blade in the man's raised hand. A very large blade, unlike any he'd seen before. The hilt was comprised of two yellow handguarded keyblades, both with a darkened silver blade. The hilts of the two keyblades were formed together to make one handle, and the blades themselves crossed. The blades' teeth would have a brown, rusted metal pattern branching from them, the left side's visably broken, somewhat. From the V-shape the blades had, a single rusted metal blade would extend. The man lowered his hand, the blade by his side. He readied it, and looked over to Xehanort. He would rush in at Xehanort, slashing quickly upwards at him. Xehanort would jump back, blocking the attack barely with his own keyblade. He would land, and look over. The man was no longer visible. Xehanort walked over, and looked around. He was knocked down suddenly, the man having appeared behind him. Xehanort would turn over to look at his enemy, the blade he held pointed at Xehanort's heart.

"I will not be defeated here!" Xehanort yelled out. He would teleport quickly behind the man, slicing at him with his keyblade. The man would stand still. Xehanort looked at him, ready to defend himself and fight back. However, the man's armor would fall, revealing there was no physical form inside the armor. As the last gauntlet fell, the blade fell with it. Xehanort went over to pick up the blade, but as he touched it's hilt, the blade and armor would disappear into nothingness.

"Who... _what_ was that?" Xehanort would say quietly to himself, looking down at the now empty and dust-ridden ground.

* * *

><p>And that, everyone, is the epilogue of this story. I'll leave the speculation up to you as to who I intended the man to be. I think you already know what the blade is! I'll be making a new story soon, so keep your eyes open for my next Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, titled "Heart of Conflict!" Thank you very much for all of the good reviews!<p> 


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